Signal system.



4 PATBNTED MAY 24, 1904. J. SHELTON. SIGNAL sYsTBm APPLIOATIOIT FILED 1'33. 4, 1904.

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PATBNTED MAY'24,' 1904. J. SHELTON. SIGNAL SYSTEM.

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Tu: Noam PITERS cu P UNITED STATES Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ,SHELTON, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD P. BECKER, OF GRAND TOWER, ILLINOIS.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 761,013, dated May 24, 1904.

Application filed February 4, 1904.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SHELTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver,Arapahoe county, in the State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Systems, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to signal systems, my objectbeing to construct a signal system which will throw danger-signals both in front of and behind a moving train and by the continued progress of the train change the danger-signals behind the train to clear signals.

My improved signal system comprises the novel features herein shown, described, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective showing-a signal-stand beside the railway. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the signal system arranged along the railway-track. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail, upon an enlarged scale, of'one of the operating-heads carried by the operating-levers. Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the parts shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 shows a perspective of the bearing-block carried by the locomotive and the sliding bolt by means of which the engineer may operate the signal system or not by operating the sliding bolt. Fig. 9 is a sectional view through the head of the sliding bolt.

Referring to the drawings in detail, thesig nal-stands 10 are mounted upon one side of the railway 11, and similar stands 12 are mounted upon the opposite side of the railway. Each of the stands 10 and 12 comprises a conical casing 13, adapted to be mounted in a vertical position beside the railway, a bearing-block 14 mounted at the center of the lower part of the casing, a bearing-block 15 mounted at the center of the top of the easing, the signal-shaft 16 mounted vertically in the bearing-blocks 14 and 15, the signal-board Serial No. 192,049. (No model.)

17 mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 16, the operating-lever 18 fixed upon the lower end of the shaft 16 above the bearing-block 14 and extending through the horizontal slots 19 and 20, the signal-light 21 mounted in the upper part of the casing 13 and visible through the glass-covered opening 22 in said casing, and the shutter 23, carried by the arm 24, extending from the shaft 16 to cover and uncover the signal-light. The shutter 23 is arranged relative to the board 17, so that when the board is parallel with the track, thereby indicating a clear track, the shutter 23 is over the opening 22 and covers the danger-signal indicated by the light 21. I

The tubular operating-head 25 is slidingly mounted upon the inner end of the operatinglever 18, a retractile coil-spring 26 being inserted in said head between the end of the operating-lever 18 and the bottom 27 of the bore 28. Slots 29 are formed transversely through the operating-head, and a pin 30 is inserted through the lever 18 and through the slots 29, so that the said head 25 may slide back and forth on the lever 18 to the limit of the slots 29, the tension of the spring 26 being exerted to hold the head at its outer limit of motion, as shown in Fig. 6.

An operating-cam 31 is carried by the close end of the head 25, said operating-cam being close beside the rail, as shown in Fig. 1.

In applying my improved signal system to a railway the signal-stands 10 may he, say, a mile apart and the signal-stands 12 a similar distance apart, the stands 10 and 12 being pref-v erably arranged nearly opposite to each other. Guide-pulleys 32 and 33 are mounted upon the same side of the track as the stands 10, and similar guide-pulleys 34 and 35 are mounted upon the opposite side of the track and directly opposite to the pulleys 32 and 33. A rope or cable 36 connects the outer end of the lever 18, carried by the stand 10, to the inner end of the lever 18, carried by the stand 12, said cable running over the guide-pulleys 32 and 34, and a similar cable 37 connects the inner end of the operating-lever 18 of the stand 10 to the outer end of the operating-lever 18 of the stand 12, said cable running over the guide-pulleys 33 and 35. When the track is clear, the signals are arranged as shown in Fig. 5, the boards 17 being parallel with the rails, the operating-levers 18 on the stands 10 standing with the operating-heads 25 pointed up the track at an angle of forty-five degrees relative to the boards 17, and the operating-levers 1.8, carried by the stands 12, have their operatingheads 25 pointed down the track at an angle of forty-five degrees relative to the boards 17 and the shutters 23 are in position to cover the lights 21.

The bearing-block 38 is carried by the locomotive, and the sliding bolt 39 operates verticall y through the bearing-block, said bolt being under the control of the engineer by any suitable means. (Not shown.) A head 40, of any suitable cushion material, such as rubber, is mounted upon the lower end of the bolt 39 in such a position that when the bolt 39 is lowered by the engineer the head 10 will strike the cam 31, and as the locomotive moves along the track the cam 31 will be carried, moving the operating-lever 18 in the slots 19 and 20, turning the shaft 16, and moving the boards 17 to a transverse position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and moving the shutter 23 to expose the danger-light 21. As the cam 31 is moved, the spring 26 is compressed until the cam 31 passes a transverse line with the shaft 16, and then the spring again expands. The operating-lever 18 is moved a quarter of a circle, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1,4, and 5, and when the operating-lever moves at the stand 10 the cable 36 is drawn, thus moving the operating-lever 18 at the stand 12.

Supposing that the locomotive is moving down the track in Fig. 5, the operating-lever 18 first reached by the locomotive will throw the signal on the stand 12, which is a mile ahead of the locomotive. Then as the locomotive continues along the track to the next stand 10 this will in turn be operated to throw the next signal ahead of the train, and that at substantially the same time the stand 12 will be operated to return the signals behind the train to their normal position. Thus it will be seen that as the locomotive parses along the track the signal system is operated from the locomotive to throw the dangerignals both ahead of and behind the train, and that b r the continued progress of the locomotive the danger-signals behind the train are changed to clear signals.

It is obvious that the bearing-block 38 may be carried by a car-such as an electric streetcarinstead of by a locomotive, if desired.

WVhen the train is to be run upon a side track or when for any other reason it is desired to leave the signals showing the clear track, the bolt 39 is elevated to pass over the cam 31.

cam carried by the operating-head in positionto be engaged by the signal-operating arm carried by a passing train; a second signal-board;

and a connection between the operating-lever and the second signal-board; substantially as specified.

2. In a signal system: a series of signalstands arranged upon one side of a railwaytrack; a second series of signal-stands arranged on the other side of a railway-track, each of said stands comprising: a signal-shaft vertically mounted; a signal-board mounted upon the upper end of the shaft; an operating-lever fixed upon the lower end of the shaft; an opcrating-head slidingly mounted upon the inner end of the operating-lever; a spring connecting the tubular operating-head to the lever,

the tension of the spring being exerted to push tle operating-head outwardly; an operatingcain carried by the operating-head in position 1' be engaged by the signal-operating arm carried by a passing train; and connections between the individual stands of the first series and the individual stands of the second series,

so that a moving train will operate the signals ahead of the train; substantially as specified.

3. In a signal system: a stand comprisinga conical casing adapted to be mounted in a vertical position beside the railway; bearingblocks mounted in vertical alinement in the casing; a signal-shaft mounted in the bearingblocks; a signal-board upon the upper end of the shaft; an operating-lever upon the lower end of the shaft; a signal-light in the upper part of the casing; an arm extending from the shaft; a shutter carried by said arm in position to cover and uncover the light as the shaft is rotated by the operating-lever; a tubular operating-head slidingly mounted upon the operating-lever; a spring for sliding said head in one direction; and an operating-cam carried by the operating-head in position to be engaged by an operating-arm carried by a moving train, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN SHELTON.

Witnesses:

M. G. IRION, Enw. WV. HARRINGTO 

